1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tuners for musical instruments, and more particularly relates to electronic tuners for stringed musical instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stringed musical instruments, such as guitars, are typically tuned through the use of an electronic tuner which is capable of detecting the frequency of vibration generated by plucking, striking, or stroking a single string on the instrument and communicating any difference between the frequency of the generated vibration and a target frequency on a standard musical scale.
When using a tuner, it is necessary to position the tuner so that the visual tuning display, which communicates the difference between the frequency of the generated vibration and the target frequency, is visible to the person tuning the instrument. It is also generally desired to position the tuner close to the sound board hole of the instrument with the transducer (e.g., a microphone) facing the sound board hole in order to maximize reception of sound from the instrument while minimizing any external interference. In an effort to attain these goals while also keeping both hands free to hold, play and tune the instrument, a number of tuners and tuner holders have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No.5,728,959 describes a clamping holder for a tuner for mounting a tuner on a microphone stand. While effective for positioning the tuner so that the visual tuning display is visible to the person tuning the instrument and the transducer faces the sound board hole of the instrument, the tuner is mounted a significant distance from the sound board hole of the instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,636 describes a guitar tuner, which incorporates a suction cup to mount the tuner to the guitar body. While generally effective for allowing positioning of the tuner proximate the sound board hole with the transducer facing the sound board hole and the visual tuning display viewable by the person tuning the guitar, guitar owners are very reluctant to attach such a device to the body of their guitar due to the high probability that the suction cup will mark, scratch, or otherwise damage the guitar body.
U.S. Pat. Des. 353,826 depicts a guitar tuner holder configured and arranged for suspending a platform from the sound board hole of a guitar. The holder includes a centrally located upper knob extending downward from the back edge of the platform for engaging the inner surface of the guitar body through the sound board hole, and a pair of laterally spaced lower knobs extending rearward from right and left legs for engaging the outer surface of the guitar body immediately below the sound board hole. While generally effective for allowing positioning of the tuner proximate the sound board hole in an orientation which allows the person tuning the guitar to view the visual tuning display of the tuner, the platform extends straight out from the sound board hole resulting in a positioning of the tuner immediately in front of the guitar strings such that the tuner interferes with playing of the guitar strings and the transducer is positioned above at least some of the guitar strings.
Accordingly, a need exists for a tuner and holder which may be positioned proximate the sound board hole of a stringed instrument with the transducer facing the sound board hole and the visual tuning display viewable by the person tuning the instrument, without interfering with playing of the instrument.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic tuner having a tuner bracket which is multi-positionable and multi-functional.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic tuner for tuning a musical instrument which may be suspended from the sound board hole of the musical instrument.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic tuner for a musical instrument which has a multi-positionable bracket that may function as a stand for supporting the electronic tuner in a substantially upright position.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electronic tuner for tuning a musical instrument which is compact but expandable for attachment to a musical instrument.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electronic tuner for a musical instrument which overcomes the inherent disadvantages of known electronic tuners and tuner holders.
In one form of the present invention, an electronic tuner for tuning a musical instrument, such as guitars having sound board holes, includes a tuner housing which contains the electronic circuitry of the tuner, and a tuner bracket which is selectively slidably and pivotably mounted on the tuner housing.
The tuner housing preferably has two grooves formed on each lateral sidewall of the housing The groove on one sidewall of the housing has an open end at one peripheral end of the housing, and the groove on the other sidewall is closed or has a stop at the same peripheral end.
The tuner bracket of the electronic tuner is selectively pivotally and slidably mounted on the tuner housing. The bracket includes a main body, a hooked end extending from the main body, and opposite parallel sidewalls extending from the main body in an opposite direction from that of the hooked end. The sidewalls of the tuner bracket have inner surfaces which face each other and are separated from each other by a predetermined distance to receive therebetween the tuner housing. At least one of the bracket sidewalls has a first protrusion extending from the inner surface thereof, and each of the bracket sidewalls have at least second protrusions extending from their respective inner surfaces. These second protrusions are received by the corresponding grooves formed in the sidewalls of the tuner housing, and slide within the grooves. The first protrusion formed on one of the bracket sidewalls is also received in a corresponding one of the two grooves formed in the tuner housing. It is also slidable within the groove.
The particular structure of the electronic tuner of the present invention allows the tuner to be used and positioned in multiple ways. In a first position, the bracket rests on the front face of the electronic tuner, with its hooked end at least partially wrapped around one end of the tuner. Preferably, the main body of the bracket does not cover a visual tuning display or various electronic push button switches and other components mounted on the electronic housing so that a musician may use the tuner with the bracket in this xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d position.
The bracket is also positionable as a stand. The user slides the bracket outwardly from the tuner until the first protrusion passes through the open end of its respective groove. The bracket is then pivoted on the second protrusions downwardly with respect to the tuner housing until the first protrusion contacts the back of the tuner and supports the tuner in a substantially upright position or at a predetermined angle so that the musician can easily view the tuning display on the front face of the tuner. In this second position, the bracket acts as a stand for the tuner so that the tuner may rest on a flat surface or the like.
The bracket, with its hooked end, also functions to allow the musician to hang the tuner from the sound board hole of the musical instrument and view the tuning display while tuning the instrument. When the bracket is extended fully from the housing so that the first protrusion clears the open end of its corresponding groove, the bracket may be pivoted in the opposite direction towards the front face of tuner housing. The bracket preferably locks in place at a particular angle above the front face of the tuner housing, and the musician places the hooked end of the bracket onto the edge of the sound board hole of his instrument. The bracket thus suspends the tuner from the hole at an angle so that the tuning display is viewable by the musician as he tunes his instrument. By the user exerting hand force, the bracket may be pivoted back down from this position and slid onto the tuner housing until the hooked end contacts an edge of the tuner with the bracket at least partially covering the front face of the tuner housing, i.e., the bracket is in a closed position.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing.